Yemi Akinsuyi
13 November 2009
Abuja — The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested the registrar of the National Examination Council (NECO) Prof Promise Okpala, over an alleged N2.4 billion scam in the examination body.
Others arrested are Adesina Adetola, Assistant Director/Secretary to Tender Board/Head of Procurement and Account Director of NECO, Mr. Isaac Adisa Ishola A source in the commission said yesterday that the Chairman of the anti-graft commission, Mrs. Farida Waziri, had ordered that the three top officials of the examination board be arrested for investigation.
In a quick reaction, some operatives of the EFCC swooped on the Minna Headquarters of the examination body on Tuesday and arrested its Director of Finance, Mr. Ishola Isaac, who petitioners have accused of having colluded with Okpala to loot NECO.
After he was arrested, the operatives first took Ishola to Tundun Wada Police Station in Minna, before he was later driven to Alovera Hotel, also in the city.
The investigators then conducted an intense search on the hotel, whichis said to be owned by Ishola. Our source did not say whether any incriminating document was found in the hotel.
The EFCC operatives were said to have arrested Ishola after they could not locate Okpala who is said to be playing hide and seek with the commission.
The investigators, it was further learnt, also arrested and grilled for several hours one Mr. Adesina Adetona, before eventually succeeding in arresting Okpala on Tuesday.
"I can assure you that we are determined to get to the bottom of this case. Anybody found culpable will be charged to court," the source said. The EFCC had in June quizzed five top officials of the examination body over the scam.
They were Mr. Phillip Duru (Director of Exams Administration); Dr. Nasir Dantiye (Director of Corporate Support Services); Mr. Isaac Ishola (Director, Accounts/Finance); Gladys Iyabo Akinkuole (Director, Exams Development) and Adolph Nweke (Director, Quality Assurance).
In their statement to the EFCC at the time, the directors had explained tahat they were not privy to the scam.
Some of them were said to have accused Okpala of running NECO like a personal property.
They reportedly urged the commission to get to the bottom of the case with a view to bringing anybody found culpable to book. A petition it received from one Clement Innocent who claimed to be a staff of the finance and account department of NECO triggered the EFCC's investigation. He alleged a N5billion fraud in the council.
In the four-page petition dated November 30, 2007 Innocent accused the NECO Registrar, Prof Okpala of self-enrichment and fraud. The petitioner alleged that Okpala arbitrarily inflated the monthly salary bill of the organisation from N100m to N400m.
He also alleged that the registrar, on behalf of the council, borrowed N750 million from three banks (names withheld) without permission from the Federal Executive Council or approval from the National Assembly.
The registrar, according to the petitioner, also allegedly awarded a N110m contract to one Chief Okpala Iheanyi allegedly for the setting up cybercafés in NECO offices nationwide.
The contract, he said, were awarded in breach of government's laid down procedure for contract awards.
The EFCC officials have quizzed Okpala and some other relevant officials of the council over the petition.
The three banks from which the registrar allegedly obtained N750million loan, according to our source, have also made statements to the commission on the matter.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 This Day. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
